The Two Faces of Memory Retrieval

Abstract

Does retrieval of a specific memory affect recollection of related memories? For instance, does selective remembering of part of a traumatic experience, or part of an incidentally observed crime, affect memory for other details of the event? Casual subjective experience suggests that memory retrieval can improve recollection of related memories. When one is talking with a friend about a common, long-forgotten vaca-tion, remembering a first piece of the event often initiates a chain of retrieval processes, along which more and more of the seemingly forgotten memory is recollected. However, this subjective experience contrasts with scientific experiments that have demonstrated that selective remembering typically impairs recollection of related material (for reviews, see Anderson, 2003; Bauml, 2008; Roediger & Neely, 1982). Here, we show that selective memory retrieval can both impair and improve related memories, suggesting the existence of two faces of memory retrieval.The subjectively experienced, beneficial effects of retrieval often pertain to outdated memories, whereas the scientifically observed, detrimental effects of retrieval typically pertain to more current memories (e.g., Anderson, 2003). We therefore examined whether the effects of selective memory retrieval depend on the memory status of the encoded material, being beneficial for outdated memories but detrimental for more current memories. To test this proposal, we employed a directed-forgetting task and examined the effects of selective memory retrieval on to-be-remembered and to-be-forgotten material. Participants were given two item lists to study. After studying the first list, they received a cue to either forget or continue remembering the items on that list (e.g., Bjork, 1989). They were then instructed to study the second list. Later, mem-ory for predefined target items from the first list was tested. Before target recall, part of the list’s remaining items were selectively retrieved (in all but one condition).